Zephillian Wine
by Lauren-sama
Summary: [OLD] Amelia and Zelgadis have been sent on an errand to purchase wine, and Zel ends up accepting a challenge... (Z/A)


Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers. Be glad.  
  
Other stuff:  
  
-A note if a few of you don't know: Lina has an older sister named Luna, whom she is terrified of. (heck, a mere letter sent by her in Slayers Try was enough to make Lina bury herself inside a pyramid!) This is not really central to the plot, but if one does not know this fact I hope this mini- disclaimer cleared it up.  
  
-If you flame me, please give me constructive criticism, not stuff like 'your fic sux', kay? ^^ Tell me why my writing sucks, so I can improve it in the future.  
  
-I don't know how to spell 'Zephillia'.  
  
-I suck at coming up with wine names. *sweatdrop*  
  
-I know I made up a piece of information about Zel's pre-chimera life that probably isn't true… But hey, I need that piece of information for this fic to have a plot. ^^;  
  
-And I'm aware that most of you have probably skipped this whole disclaimer…  
  
~~~~~  
  
"Poor Lina-san," Amelia commented as she and Zelgadis walked away from the Inverse family household.  
  
"Indeed," Zel agreed. "Anything that can scare her must be truly terrifying."  
  
"I wonder why Luna-san called her here in the first place…"  
  
Just a few days before, the group's travels had been interrupted by a letter sent to Lina Inverse, bandit killer supreme. The note was brief and to the point, saying:  
  
'Come home, I need to talk to you. –Sis'  
  
After creating quite a spectacle, a terrified Lina had ushered the group with great haste towards Zephillia. They had just arrived, and at that very second Luna was talking with Lina. Amelia and Zelgadis had been ushered out of the house on an errand, which was also dictated in a letter that was brief and to the point- 'get some more wine, we're almost out'.  
  
Which was why both were currently walking through the streets of Zephillia in search of a liquor store. Luckily for them, the places weren't very hard to find- Zephillia was mainly known for its fine alcoholic beverages.  
  
"Ah, here," Amelia said as she spotted a shop called "Alberk's Fine Wines- Dealing in the best of alcoholic beverages for 50 years". A few seconds later, both walked inside.  
  
A small bell rung as the door opened. Amelia looked around curiously. The shop was musty and ancient-smelling, and the walls were completely covered in shelves with hundreds of different types of wine. Each kind came in a different size and/or color bottle, and there was quite a variety; there were blue bottles, brown bottles, red bottles, bottles the size of one's thumb; bottles that were half the size of Amelia… One could spend the whole day there browsing through all the different brands. As Amelia went over to check a few labels more closely, Zel just stood and slowly examined the room. It gave him a sort of nostalgic feeling; before Rezo had turned him into a chimera, one of his many hobbies was collecting glass bottles; many of which had been from different types of wine. Of course, the hobby had been immediately dismissed after that tragic incide-  
  
His eyes suddenly widened to the size of dinner plates as they rested on a bottle in the corner of the shop. It was one of the larger ones, and was almost two feet tall; the glass was a faded yellowish and the wine inside was dark purple. Judging by the designs on the bottle glass, there was no mistaking the brand- a near-legendary Pipredde wine bottle. The line had been very limited, and only a few hundred were produced. And here one was, sitting innocently in the corner of the shop.  
  
"Can I help you, sir?"  
  
The voice jolted Zelgadis back to his senses, as he looked back at the speaker- the shop owner, a man who looked to be in his mid-sixties. And Amelia was also looking at him- he sighed. 'Pull yourself together, Zel,' he reprimanded himself. 'Even if you did need to buy it, that thing must cost a fortune- there's no way you could afford it, and there's absolutely no way you'd ask Amelia to pay for it.'  
  
"Interested in that Pipredde bottle, eh?" the owner asked. "Very rare make, that is."  
  
"I know," he replied.  
  
Amelia glanced at him with interest. "You study wine bottles, Zelgadis-san?"  
  
"Well… I did before, kind of," he replied uncertainly.  
  
"Tell you what," the shopkeeper interrupted. "I can see that you're really interested in this bottle. So I'll give it to you for free-"  
  
Zelgadis drew in his breath sharply, as his eyes lit up. He then quickly tried to get himself under control. There was a catch, there had to be a catch, there was no way that the guy could be telling the truth…  
  
"-If you can drink it all right now."  
  
"W-what?!" Amelia and Zelgadis exclaimed simultaneously. They immediately looked at each other, and blushed.  
  
"Just what I said," he replied with a grin. "I'll give your blue friend here the bottle for free if he can drink it all in one sitting."  
  
"If not?" Amelia inquired.  
  
"Then he has to pay for it." The shopkeeper turned to Zelgadis. "So, do you accept?"  
  
"But- your business-" Zel stammered.  
  
"Oh, it'll be all right!" the owner assured him. "If anything, it'll attract customers!"  
  
Zel took a moment to consider this, while Amelia looked at him anxiously. On one hand, he could just calmly refuse. But this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, the other side of him nagged. Finally, he made up his mind.  
  
"I accept."  
  
~*~  
  
Amelia watched Zelgadis intently as he continued to drink. He looked a bit red in the face now, but not ready to give up- he had already finished half the bottle, and was still managing to sit upright.  
  
"You can do it, Zelgadis-san!" she cheered. True, she was not a supporter of alcohol, but Zelgadis was her friend, and he wanted the wine bottle very badly. That, and a small part of her mind wanted to see how a drunk Zelgadis would act… She giggled slightly.  
  
Now he was three-fourths the way through the bottle. One hand grasped the bottle, the other had the edge of the table in a death-like grip. He was definitely red now. But Zelgadis didn't give up. He continued to drink. Finally, the last drop drained from the glass and he set the bottle down, his head collapsing onto the table.  
  
"Bravo!" the shopkeeper shouted in amusement as he applauded. "That was really something! You earned it."  
  
Zelgadis got up unsteadily and looked at him.  
  
"Oh, ish nutt'n…" he replied; his speech slurred by the effects of the alcohol. Amelia giggled again as she watched him. He drowsily felt his hand across the table for where the bottle lay, and began to pick it up.  
  
"O- oh, allow me!" Amelia interjected as she ran over and took the heavy bottle from his unsteady hand. Zelgadis turned to look at her.  
  
"Hey, 'Melia… You look really cute…"  
  
Amelia blushed furiously. "Zel- Zelgadis-san!"  
  
"C'mon. We're goin'," he told her as he put his arm around her shoulder and walked her out. After the initial shock, Amelia sighed happily and, deciding to take advantage of the opportunity, snuggled against his shoulder.  
  
~*~  
  
With faces as red as tomatoes, Zelgadis and Amelia walked into Lina's house.  
  
"Oh, hey," Gourry greeted happily, seemingly oblivious to their dazed state. "What took you so long?"  
  
"N-nothing!" Zelgadis stuttered in embarrassment.  
  
Lina observed how close the two were and grinned in a slightly predatory manner. "'Nothing' indeed," she commented slyly. Then, she noticed something. "Hey! Where's the wine?"  
  
"Oh, we- err… we forgot, didn't we? Oops…" Amelia laughed nervously in realization.  
  
Lina's face took on a look of complete and utter terror. "WHAT?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT SHE'LL DO TO ME WHEN SHE FINDS OUT THAT YOU FORGOT?! I'M DOOMED!"  
  
Zelgadis cringed, his head ringing from a very, very bad hangover. 


End file.
